History Platform / SegaCD

* PreRenderedCutscene: Even among the games for the system that ''aren't'' in the InteractiveMovie genre, it was very common to see a game cram one of these in if it was at all possible, even if it didn't need one. Movie tie-in games were an especially big offender.

Another aspect of the Sega CD that went semi-memetic were the cases for its games. Instead of the standard square jewel cases used for music [=CDs=] and computer [=CD-ROMs=], releases of Sega CD games outside of Japan used jewel cases the size of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longbox longbox]], an outer cardboard box that music [=CDs=] were packaged in before being phased out in the early '90s. These larger jewel cases were much deeper than normal models, which made them extremely fragile, and because the game discs would not sit in their mounting in the case, it also necessitated a packed-in foam sponge to hold the disc in place, which would be held in place by the case lid. This put even more stress on the case lid, and led to even more breakage. Japanese releases simply used regular jewel cases to greater success. The Sega CD was not the only system to do this -- early Platform/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer and Platform/PlayStation games in the West used these cases as well (probably to prevent shoplifting, it's a lot harder to slip one of these into a coat pocket or purse than a standard CD case),[[note]]And the 3DO and PS1 used cardboard longboxes with a standard CD case inside rather than the hated clear plastic ones Sega used[[/note]] as did most Western releases of Platform/SegaSaturn games -- but the fact that the Sega CD used them so consistently led to the longbox-sized case becoming inextricably associated with the add-on.

Another aspect of the Sega CD that went semi-memetic were the cases for its games. Instead of the standard square jewel cases used for music [=CDs=] and computer [=CD-ROMs=], releases of Sega CD games outside of Japan used jewel cases the size of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longbox longbox]], an outer cardboard box that music [=CDs=] were packaged in before being phased out in the early '90s. These larger jewel cases were much deeper than normal models, which made them extremely fragile, and because the game discs would not sit in their mounting in the case, it also necessitated a packed-in foam sponge to hold the disc in place, which would be held in place by the case lid. This put even more stress on the case lid, and led to even more breakage. Japanese releases simply used regular jewel cases to greater success. The Sega CD was not the only system to do this -- early Platform/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer and Platform/PlayStation games in the West used these cases as well, as did most Western releases of Platform/SegaSaturn games -- but the fact that the Sega CD used them so consistently led to the longbox-sized case becoming inextricably associated with the add-on.

Possibly the rarest bird in the Sega CD lineup is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-PzmHGbknU Aiwa Mega-CD]], a combination Mega Drive-Sega CD-boombox. Sadly this [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]]. [=eBay=] currently has them listed at around ''$3,500'', plus or minus a couple hundred bucks depending on condition. At least shipping costs will be a lot cheaper than the [=LaserActive=]...

In addition to its tepid audience response, the Sega CD is also seen as a commercial failure, only selling 2.4 million units (compare the 30 million Sega Genesis units sold). While not as disastrous as the later [[Platform/Sega32X 32X]] add-on, the lacking reception and sales were the first signs of Sega's eventual decline during the mid- and late-90s that would lead to them leaving the console hardware market. The combination of this and the PC Engine CD's poor sales outside of Japan (as the [=TurboGrafx-CD=]) are also credited as a likely factor in Nintendo choosing to stick with cartridges for the Platform/Nintendo64 -- right when CD-ROM technology became more readily practical for game developers[[note]]piracy may have also played a factor in Nintendo's decision; the absolutely ''rampant'' piracy of the Famicom Disk System wasn't that distant of a memory and it ended up possibly even ''more'' rampant on the Platform/PlayStation, to the point that by the end of its life there were probably more pirated games in circulation than real ones. It's worth noting that the first wave of CD-ROM based systems (including the Sega CD) had NO copy protection whatsoever, which people figured out pretty much immediately once affordable CD burners became a thing[[/note]]. Oops.

Possibly the rarest bird in the Sega CD lineup is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-PzmHGbknU Aiwa Mega-CD]], a combination Genesis-Sega CD-boombox. Sadly this [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]]. [=eBay=] currently has them listed at around ''$3,500'', plus or minus a couple hundred bucks depending on condition. At least shipping costs will be a lot cheaper than the [=LaserActive=]...

If $500 wasn't expensive enough there was also the option of spending $900 on a [[https://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg90-pioneer.htm#page=reviews Pioneer LaserActive]] and another $600 on the Sega "PAC" (for a grand total of '''$3,235''' in 2024 money). The [=LaserActive=] could not only play Genesis and Sega CD games but also exclusive LD-ROM games that made use of the [=LaserActive's=] Laserdisc player, most of which were just interactive movies. This sold about as well as could be expected, as with the X'Eye/Wondermega the bulk of those sales came from Japan. A similar "PAC" also existed for the Platform/PCEngine (aka [=TurboGrafix=]-16) and the PCE CD, with it's own set of LD-ROM games. [[CrackIsCheaper Don't even ask what it would cost to get a hold of one of these today]].

The Sega CD is also noteworthy for how many hardware permutations it had. While you're probably familiar with either the bottom-mount Model 1 or the side-mount Model 2, there was also the Sega CDX, a much smaller unit that combined a Genesis, Sega CD, and a ''Walkman music player'' into a single unit: the console was actually small enough to double as a portable music player, and was marketed as such! Unfortunately, it had a high $300 price tag, was produced in small quantities, and its disc reading laser quickly developed a reputation for being finicky and breaking down quickly. It was also incompatible with any other Genesis add-on hardware, like the Power Base or 32X.

Another interesting version of the Sega CD is the JVC X'Eye, known as the Wondermega in Japan. This was a fully licensed console produced by JVC under agreement with Sega, and like the CDX combined a Sega Genesis and a Sega CD into a single unit. While the sound hardware produces slightly better sound and music than the Sega produced units and only uses one AC Adapter as opposed to having to use a separate brick for the Genesis and CD, its US$500 price tag (in 1994! That's about $980 in [[TheNewTwenties New Twenties]] money) meant that it was actually significantly cheaper to buy a Genesis and Sega CD separately than to buy an X'Eye, particularly after the buyer's market for the Sega CD dried up and retailers began slashing the price on the unit (a year before the Sega Saturn was released, you could buy a Sega CD for $20 at most toy stores). Nevertheless, the X'Eye's robustness as a unit and the fact it only uses one AC adapter make it highly sought after among collectors and, if you can find one, an excellent "all-in-one" unit for a Genesis collection.

** ''Lethal Enforcers''
** ''Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters''

The Sega CD, also known as the Mega-CD in UsefulNotes/{{Europe}} and UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}, was a UsefulNotes/CompactDisc-based add-on for the Platform/SegaGenesis. As its name would suggest, it allowed the Genesis to take advantage of the higher-capacity CD-ROM storage medium, enabling features such as pre-rendered video playback (branded "Full-Motion Video") and Red Book CD sound. Unfortunately, the Genesis'[=/=]Mega Drive's own processing power wasn't quite enough to take advantage of these features to the fullest. It was released in 1991 in Japan, with North America getting it in 1992 and Europe in 1993. The launch price was $299 (£270 in Great Britain), twice of that of the Genesis itself after it was given a price cut in 1991.

* ''Wolfchild''

* ''Wirehead''

The add-on is probably best known for its association with [[InteractiveMovie Full-Motion Video]] games. While not the first or even last machine to host FMV games, they were prominently featured in Sega's aggressive marketing and a fairly common part of the library thanks to Creator/DigitalPictures, a major proponent of the game genre. One of these [=FMV=] games was ''VideoGame/NightTrap'', which obtained infamy by being featured at a U.S. Senate hearing concerning portrayals of violence in video games and contributing to the creation of the [[UsefulNotes/EntertainmentSoftwareRatingBoard ESRB]]. Hosting live action footage on a home console was impressive for the time, but it was heavily degraded by the Genesis's palette limitations and the visuals have aged poorly (the few CD games that also supported the [[Platform/Sega32X 32X]] add-on don't suffer from this issue and fared much better). To quote Digital Pictures co-founder Ken Melville, "[footage was reduced to] the most horrifying, blurry, reduced-color-palette mess imaginable." The FMV games themselves also quickly gained a reputation for being shallow experiences not worth buying, which contributed to turning people away from the CD.

The Sega CD came about because {{Creator/Sega}} heard rumors of Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s deal with {{Creator/Sony}} to develop their own CD add-on, and also because NEC had just released a CD attachment for their [[UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 PC Engine]] console (ironically, the {{UsefulNotes/SNESCDROM}} wound up becoming an albatross [[{{Vaporware}} and never saw release]][[note]]By Nintendo anyway, the "SNES-CD" would later be re-purposed by Sony as the Platform/PlayStation[[/note]]; Sega wasted no time in mocking Nintendo for this in their ads for the Sega CD). Sega jumped the gun and pushed out their own attachment as a countermeasure: it allowed the Genesis to perform tricks similar to the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] that would otherwise be impossible with the original hardware, such as Mode 7 effects and sprite rotation.

* Like later models of the [[UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 TurboGrafx-CD]], the Sega CD supports CD+G, a variant on the Red Book standard that enables compatible CD players to display low-resolution graphics in time with the audio. This was more useful for Japanese audiences, as CD+G could be used to display song lyrics in real time for at-home karaoke parties (CD+G never really took off anywhere else).